NARROWSBURG, NY — Born of, served by, and now defined by the river that flows through it, Narrowsburg knows well the power of water, for good and ill. In this summer season, nature’s water is bringing lush greenery, fruitful crop harvest, bountiful drinking and bathing water and unwanted damage to town streets and sidewalks.

At the June 10 Tusten Town Board meeting, Stephen Stuart asked the board to consider steps to redirect stormwater runoff that has been causing damage to the sidewalk in front of his property at 93 Erie Ave., which houses The River Reporter’s office. Because water takes the path of least resistance, unless otherwise diverted, Stuart contends that stormwater flowing down the steeply pitched avenue has nowhere to go except onto the sidewalk in front of his building. This causes the flagstones to buckle and separate. Stuart said an engineering study would indicate the need for curbs and gutters to guide the water safely into existing sewers and drains.

Supervisor Carol Ropke Wingert said this was hardly a new problem, that it has been happening in that spot for between 50 and 100 years, and that the board was not going to be able to fix it with any action taken that night. Stuart said privately that he thinks the reason it has been happening for so many years is that no board has been willing to tackle its underlying cause: improper engineering of the street.

Since that board meeting, Erie Avenue has been repaved and repitched. Whether that alone will be enough to solve the stormwater runoff problem remains to be seen.

In any case, it is not the only water problem in town. Following mandated inspection and flushing of fire hydrants, the hydrant located in front of St. Paul’s Lutheran Church at 31 Erie Ave. cannot be shut off.

Tusten Water and Sewer Superintendent Glenn Swendsen blamed the problem on faulty water main blueprints that indicate the shutoff valve is made of steel, when in fact it is made of cast-iron. Trying to replace the broken valve with one made of steel, Swendsen found it to be incompatible with the cast-iron joint. Another valve is on order, and the problem was expected to be corrected within the next week. In the meantime, water continues to spill from the hydrant onto the street and down a drain located 15 feet from the hydrant.

Wingert noted that failure to exercise the valves on a regular basis has resulted in stiff valves; one could not be turned on, and one snapped when shutoff was attempted.